Chris Chaney’s system has long given shooters the freedom to pull it. During his time amassing more wins than any active prep basketball coach and any prep coach in his age category, Chaney has boasted shooters such as Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall), Shawne Williams (Memphis/NBA), and Dwight Hardy (St. John’s).
After playing sparingly in the NERR Prep National Showcase tournament, the 6-foot-4 Akrum Ahemed scored 16 points.
Shooting the ball at an efficient clip and developing a fluid a deep jumper, the Class of 2019 Ahemed is shaping his way into the Division-I prospect coaches had him pegged as since he arrived to Scotland at the doorstep in August.
His shot and shot speed have improved incrementally. He’s subsequently mastered the craft of getting into the lane and finishing in ambidextrous fashion. Ahemed also appears more comfortable with his pull-up game and transition shooting, aspects he paid special devotion to this summer.
Ahemed, a transfer via the star spangled Oak Hill, showed flashes of promise and potential last year under Steve Smith. Most notably, he scored 12 points (5-of-7 FG) against Shadow Mountain (Az.) in the prestigious GEICO National tournament in New York.
Making consistency a livelihood has been the biggest area of focus for Ahemed, who worked diligently under former Manhattan and Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez (currently in China) this summer.
The New Jersey native possesses sneaky bounce, a trait most notable when he goes to his left hand for one of his patented in-traffic dunks.
All season long, Chaney has preached the power of time and time management. He’s waxed poetic about the importance of patience and a steady workload, acknowledging the role it could play in the long and demanding schedule that is the regular season.
Chaney even touched on the journey of NBA forward Jordan Hill, who played for him at The Patterson School in North Carolina. Hill was at the tail end of the bench to start the year for Chaney. He wound up working his way into meaningful, significant playing time before eventually earning a scholarship offer from Lute Olsen and Arizona.
The point illustrated here is the sheer value of patience, especially through the test of time. It is a long season and anyone can outduel anyone in the rotation, especially given the evenly-matched nature of prep/post graduate basketball.
In an event of NERR National Prep Showcase’s magnitude, there are Division-I players who may not see the floor or even catch a DNP-coach’s decision. Given how the American prep school environment is structured and understanding the tinkering of lineups which tend to occur, guys can quickly find their way to meaningful minutes regardless of where they stand in November or December.
Curtain Call:
Aside from Austin Galuppo (who also finished with 16 points), who displayed tremendous and NBA-caliber 3-point range during the second half, no player on this team can shoot the ball like Ben Curtain.
The 6-foot guard from Virginia has authored high efficiency throughout practice, hitting 3-pointers in succession and catching the hot hand during spurts. Few have the type of catch-and-stick game he has to offer, with his fluid form remaining the same shot after shot after shot.
Curtain capitalized on his chance to prove himself in last night’s trouncing of Harcum, seizing the opportunity with 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point territory. Though he’s a lesser acclaimed recruit and may not have the physical or athletic capabilities as some of the more high profile prospects, Curtain’s deft stroke from 3-point land has garnered notice.
Harcum College featured a lethal shooter of its own in Tyrese Ryan. Ryan, who entered the contest averaging in the vicinity of 15 PPG, scored a game-best 20 points. He hit five 3-point field goals and was the main source in keeping Harcum competitive early in the first half.
